---
title: "Timebox schedules."
canonical: "https://support.appfire.com/space/DLP/1989148938/Timebox%20schedules."
format: markdown
---
| **Contents:**
> Macro (toc) |
| --- |
## About the timebox schedule
The timebox schedule (TS) feature helps standardize planning across teams working in recurring cycles, like sprints, program increments, or quarters. It's especially useful for organizations following Agile, SAFe, or similar frameworks, where consistent time-based structures are key. But it can also be utilized by organizations working in classic frameworks like Waterfall to visualize fiscal years or quarters on the timeline.
Instead of manually setting up [timeboxes](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DLP/pages/868975113) for each planning cycle, Admins can define a reusable timebox hierarchy (e.g., Year → Quarter → PI → Iteration) and apply it across multiple boxes. This reduces repetitive setup work and ensures alignment across teams.
Key capabilities:
- Define a timebox schedule with multiple levels and sequential dates.
- Apply schedules to multiple boxes.
- Ensure the same timebox structure across multiple projects, with a single place to manage those timeboxes.
## Security and access
Only a user with the App Admin security role can access the **Administration** page.
To access the timebox schedules page:
1. Open BigPicture.
2. Click the **wrench icon** at the top.
3. Select **Timebox schedules**.
## Timebox schedules overview
On the main *Timebox schedules* page, you can see a list of already created timebox schedules along with the following information:
- Name of the timebox schedule
- Boxes assigned to a timebox schedule
- Levels included
- Description
The table presents the available actions you can perform on the **Timebox schedules** page. The following actions:
- edit
- delete
- assign to boxes
can also be carried out on the TS details page (see: *Manage timebox schedule* section)
| **Action** | **Description** |
| --- | --- |
| Add new timebox schedule | To add a new timebox schedule:
1. Click **+Add new**.
2. Provide:
1. Name
2. Description (optional)
3. Define timebox levels. You can select up to four:
1. Year
2. Half Year
3. Program Increment
4. Iteration
4. Modify the start date if needed.
5. Select global teams.
6. Click **Create** to finish the process.
> ℹ️ Timebox schedules work only with [global teams](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DLP/pages/297668097).
If no timebox schedule is listed on the *Timebox schedules* page, you can create a new TS by clicking the **Create Timebox schedule** tile on the splash screen.
 |
| Edit existing timebox schedule | When you click **More actions **(**…**)** **>** Edit**, you’ll be redirected to the details page of a selected timebox schedule. Alternatively, click the TS name to open its details page.
 |
| Assign timebox schedule to boxes | Click **More actions **(**…**)** **>** Assign to boxes** to assign a selected timebox schedule to boxes.
 |
| Delete timebox schedule | To delete a timebox schedule:
> 📝 Deleting a timebox schedule deletes all timeboxes from all the assigned boxes. Tasks in scope will not be deleted, and the action can’t be reversed.
1. Click **More actions **(**…**)** **>** Delete**.
2. To confirm, click **Delete**.
 |
### Global teams
The timebox schedule works only with [global teams](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DLP/pages/297668097). Once connected, teams created in your box will no longer work. Only global teams (inherited from the root box) linked to the timebox schedule will be available.
Swimlanes in the Board and Objectives modules will display global teams, allowing you to see which teams are assigned to which tasks within specific timeboxes. Tasks can be assigned to teams and timeboxes directly from the backlog or moved between teams and sprints using drag-and-drop in the Board module.
> 📝 If global teams are **NOT** connected to the timebox schedule, they will **NOT** be visible in the swimlanes, even if you manually add them to a box.
## Manage timebox schedules
You can open the *Timebox schedule details* page when:
- you finish creating a new timebox schedule, or
- click an existing timebox schedule on the **Administration** > **Timebox schedules** page.
### Use existing sprints to generate a timebox schedule
When you set up a new timebox schedule, you can choose to turn on automatic timebox creation.
**Note**: This cannot be enabled for an existing schedule.
Next, connect a timebox schedule to a Jira board to ensure correct synchronization. Timeboxes will be created automatically, and their content will be synchronized with Jira sprints.
When a sprint-based timebox schedule is assigned to a box, **the board is automatically added to the scope of the box** to ensure all tasks from your board are included.
### Edit timebox schedule details
On this page, you can edit the basic TS details you provided during the creation process:
- change the TS name
- add/ change a description
- add/remove global teams
- remove boxes associated with the selected TS
> 📝 Timebox levels cannot be edited once the schedule is created.
### Edit timebox schedule structure
On the *Schedule structure* tab, you can see the timebox schedule structure that was created based on the number of levels in the timebox hierarchy you selected during the TS creation process.
You cannot change the number of those levels by deleting any level or adding extra sub-levels.
However, you can click the **pen** icon to edit the details of a timebox on each level, such as name, status, and start/end dates.
In addition, you can add more timeboxes on each level, including the lowest (Iteration) and the highest one (Year).
When you are creating a new timebox on the TS hierarchy that consists of at least two levels, an arrow appears on the **Create timeboxes** screen. The **→** / **←** arrows let you move only only up, only down, or up only down, or up and down by one level (depending on where you clicked the **plus** icon on the hierarchy on the hierarchy). This way, you can add several timeboxes on two levels in one session.
1. Mouse over the line separating the levels until you see the **plus** (**+**) sign.
2. Click it to add another timebox.
3. On the **Create timeboxes** screen, add new timebox details. Optionally, click the **+Add more** to continue adding consecutive timeboxes on the selected level. Or move to another level to create more timeboxes (if applicable).
4. Click the **Create** button to finish the process.
If you happen to add a series of timeboxes whose dates overlap with boxes on another level, the app will prompt a warning.
> 📝 Once you have at least two timeboxes on a sub-level, the **Delete** icon becomes active on that level.
### [Timeboxes field mapping](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DLP/pages/868975113)
In the *Timeboxes **[field mapping](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DLP/pages/297635027)* tab, you can map the fields for all the timeboxes in your TS structure. The process is the same as for regular timeboxes.
### Assign to boxes
You can assign a timebox schedule only to **[Own-scope](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DLP/pages/868188589)** boxes that have no children (timeboxes) or to another Own-scope box as a child of the selected Own-scope box. You can also assign a TS to a box during box creation in the Overview module.
1. Click the **Assign to boxes button**.
2. On the **Assign timebox schedule to boxes** screen, check or uncheck the boxes you want to add the TS to.
3. Click **Save** to finish the process.
### Delete timebox schedule
The **Delete** button deletes the entire timebox schedule. Once you confirm, this action cannot be undone.
## Use timebox schedule during box creation
When [creating a new box](https://appfire.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/DLP/pages/297768085), you can use one of the existing timebox schedules. If no timebox schedule was previously created yet, the **Use timebox schedule** toggle switch is unavailable (grayed out).
## Timeboxes in modules
Boxes that are connected to a timebox schedule are marked with an icon in the **TS** column. Mouse over the icon to check the name of the timebox schedule.
### Overview module
Timeboxes created manually can be chosen, and they display a list of lower-level timeboxes. You can choose one of the lower-level timeboxes and open it.
Timboxes created with a timebox schedule don’t display a list of sub-boxes and cannot be accessed from the Overview level.
### Gantt module
You can check the **Timeboxes** option to show timeboxes on the timeline.
### Board module
In the Board module, both manually created and created by timebox schedule boxes are displayed with their sub-boxes. From this level, you can also assign tasks to global teams.
### Objectives module
In the Board module, boxes created manually and by timebox schedule are displayed along with their sub-boxes. From this level, you can also assign objectives to global teams.
> 📝 The board displaying TS will show the swimlanes of only global teams assigned to the given timebox schedule. Local teams are not shown on such a board.
### Resources module
If you want to display timeboxes on the Resources grid, check the **Timeboxes** under the **View** dropdown. This will group tasks in a box by timeboxes. If you are currently viewing the parent-level box, like Home/root or portfolio box, switch to the **Projects** swimlane.
## Things to consider
- An App Admin manages everything. A user can no longer manage TS in a box.
- The timebox schedule works only with global teams.
- A user cannot open a timebox in the Overview and Gantt modules.